Daily GK Updates - 21st July, 2016

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Seven Indian firms in Fortune 500 list: The list is topped by the retail giant Walmart with revenue of $482,130 million, followed by State Grid (revenue of $329,601 million) and China National Petroleum ($299,271 million) at the second and third place respectively. While among Indian firms, Indian Oil Corporation ranked highest at 161st place with revenue of $54.7 billion. However, another state-run firm ONGC has moved out of the rankings for 2016 and private gems and jewellery major Rajesh Exports has made its debut at the 423rd position.

2. India, Bangladesh has inaugurated Petrapolecheck-post: India and Bangladesh has opened the newly constructed modern integrated check-post at Petrapole-Benapole point of the India-Bangladesh border in West Bengal. The cost of the project is 200 crore.

3. Various Cabinet approvals:

·        Establishment of a new All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) at Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh under PradhanMantriSwasthyaSurakshaYojana (PMSSY) has been approved by the Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister ShriNarendraModi.

·        Another approval by the Union Cabinet is for the incorporation of Sagarmala Development Company (SDC) under the Companies Act, 2013 with an initial authorized share capital of 1 thousand crore rupees and a subscribed share capital of Rs. 90 Crore. SDC will be under the administrative control of the Ministry of Shipping.

·        The 3rd approval for the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill 2016 which has been approved by the Union Cabinet under the Chairmanship of Prime Minister ShriNarendraModi.

·     The 4th approval by the Union Cabinet is for introducing amendments to the Benami Transactions (Prohibition) (Amendment) Bill, 2015 in Parliament. The amendments aim to strengthen the Bill in terms of the legal and administrative procedure so as to overcome the practical difficulties which may arise in the implementation of the provisions of the Bill when it becomes an Act.

·    The 5th approval is for the signing of the Air Services Agreement between India and Mozambique as at present there is no Air Services Agreement between India and Mozambique.

·    Sixth approval is for a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which has been signed between India and Tunisia for strengthening bilateral cooperation in the field of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and Digital Economy.

4. India and Japan signed a Social Security Agreement: India and Japan have signed a Social Security Agreement (SSA) that will come into force on 1st October 2016. The SSA will benefit Indian and Japanese professionals and skilled workers working in each other’s country and will also boost bilateral business linkages.

5. ECI launched National Electoral Roll Purification 2016: The programme was launched to improve health of Electoral Rolls (ERs) and to optimize the Polling Station (PS) location and area across the country. The motto of ECI for the year 2016 is No voter to be left behind.

6. BHEL commissions 40mw hydropower units in West Bengal:Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has commissioned the third unit of the 4x40 MW Teesta Low Dam Hydro Electric Project (HEP) Stage-IV in West Bengal. A run-of-the-river Greenfield project located in Darjeeling district of West Bengal(WB), Teesta HEP is being set up by National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC), on the River Teesta.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Turkey declares 3-month state of emergency: Turkey's president has declared a three-month state of emergency following a failed coup. The decision was made following a meeting with cabinet ministers and top security advisers in Ankara. While declaring the imposition of the emergency Erdogan said that the measure was being taken to counter threats to Turkish democracy.

OTHER UPDATES:

FINANCE/BANKING:                                 

1. Federal Bank ties up with Reliance Jio Money: Federal Bank has signed an agreement with Reliance Jio Money for one-click payment service. Reliance Jio Money is a wallet application that will be launched soon for mobile devices where Federal Bank will enable a direct payment option for its customers.

2. IRCTC joins hands with SBI to promote rail ticketing: Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has joined hands with the State Bank of India to chalk out a detailed plan for promotion of rail ticketing activities, including internet ticketing and unreserved ticketing system.

SPORTS:

3. BCCI conducts ‘English language and communication skills’: The Board of Control for Cricket in India has organised a course for umpires on English language and communication skills. The course has been designed by the British Council along with the International Cricket Council and is aimed at equipping the match officials with requisite communication skills.

Daily GK Updates - 20th July, 2016

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Rohit Khandelwal becomes first Indian to win Mr. World Title: Rohit Khandelwal has become the first Indian to win the title of Mr. World at a grand ceremony at Southport in England. He received a whopping cash prize of 50,000 US dollars. However, the first runner-up crown went to Mr. Puerto Rico.

2. NITI Aayog and Intel India sign SOI to kick-off Atal Tinkering Lab Initiative for Young Innovators: NITI Aayog and Intel India sign Statement of Intent (SOI) to start Atal Tinkering Laboratories (ATL) Initiative for Young Innovators as a part of its flagship programme the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM). The aim of setting up Atal Tinkering Laboratories is to build relevant skill sets among youngsters and to provide access to technology that will enable solutions.

3. ECI launches SVEEP portal in Hindi: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has launched the SVEEP Portal in the Hindi language along with two other releases in the sidelines of the Conference of Chief Electoral Officers of States by the Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi.

4. SC accepts structural reforms in BCCI: The Supreme Court (SC) has accepted the major recommendations of the Lodha Committee on reforms to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), including a bar on ministers and civil servants and those above 70 from becoming its members. The court has also accepted the recommendations of the committee headed by retired Chief Justice of India (CJI) Justice R M Lodha to have a CAG nominee in the BCCI.

5. Paytm ties up with grocery retailer Heritage Fresh: Mobile payment and commerce platform Paytm has entered into a strategic alliance with Hyderabad-based grocery retailer Heritage Fresh as Paytm aims to provide more and more users the convenience and safety of cashless transactions.

6. The Western Union appoints SohiniRajola as new Vice-President:International remittance company the Western Union appointed Sohini Rajola as Regional Vice President, India and South Asia.

7. Sarvita Sethi appointed Coca-Cola VP-Finance for India and South West Asia.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Russian PM suspends its sports minister: Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has suspended Deputy Sports Minister Yury Nagornykh, who was named in a report on the doping of Russian athletes at the 2014 Sochi Olympics.

OTHER UPDATES:

FINANCE/BANKING:                                 

1. SBI launches Rs 7000 crore stressed assets fund with Brookfield: Country's largest lender State Bank of India (SBI) SBI and Brookfield Asset Management have set up a joint venture (JV) with an initial commitment of over $1 billion to make investments in businesses with stressed assets.

SPORTS:

2. Steve Elworthy appointed as the MD of 2019 Cricket World Cup going to be held in England and Wales.

AWARDS:

3. Nigerian journalist wins BBC World News Komla Dumor Award: A Nigerian journalist DidiAkinyelure has won the second BBC World News KomlaDumor Award for 2016. DidiAkinyelure is a prime-time news anchor in Nigeria and presents business news for CNBC, which broadcasts across the continent.

4. Indian boy’s project to safeguard fisherman bags Google Community Impact award in Asia region: An Indian boy from Tamil Nadu has won the community impact awards from Google for his project of mobile GPS that keeps fishermen safe from invisible maritime boundaries. 14-year old Advay Ramesh won the mentioned prize for Asia-Pacific region in the Google Science Fair of 2016.

OBITUARIES:

5. Oldest litigant of Ayodhya dispute Mohammad Hashim Ansari passed away at the age of 96.

6. Hockey legend Mohammad Shahid passed away at the age of 56.

Daily GK Updates - 19th July, 2016

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. CBDT signs 7 advance pricing agreements to cut tax litigation with Indian taxpayers: The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has signed seven Unilateral Advance Pricing Agreements (APAs) with Indian taxpayers in a moving design to reduce tax litigation.

2. Parliament passes Regional Centre for Biotechnology Bill, 2016: The bill seeks to establish a Regional Centre for Biotechnology, an institution of education, training and research, under the auspices of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in the National Capital Region. It also confers upon it the status of an institution of national importance.

3. Rs 28,000 crore released under MGNREGA: The Centre has released more than Rs. 28,000 crore so far this year to States under MGNREGA to clear the last year’s liabilities and for running the programme in the on-going year.

4. Herbalife associates with IOA as Nutrition Partner: Herbalife International India, a global premier nutrition company, has entered into a two-year exclusive partnership with Indian Olympic Association to be the official nutrition sponsor of the Indian Olympic contingent to Rio De Janeiro.

5. Dabur acquires South African cosmetic firm Discaria Trading: Homegrown FMCG major Dabur has stated that it has acquired South Africa-based Discaria Trading (PTY) Ltd for an undisclosed amount. The South Africa based firm is engaged in manufacturing and trading of cosmetics.

6. Tata STRIVE skill development centre launched in Hyderabad:Tata STRIVE, an initiative of Tata Community Initiatives Trust, has been launched its first Skill Development Centre (TSSDC) centre. The centre will equip the youth in the State with skills in BPO, banking, financial services, insurance and retail industries to make them employable. The 17,000-sq ft facility in Kukatpally was inaugurated by Telangana IT and Industries Minister KT Rama Rao.

7. Odisha-born bureaucrat GuruprasadMohapatra appointed as chairman of AAI.

8. Navjot Singh Sidhu resigns as RajyaSabha MP: Navjot Singh Sidhu, former Indian cricketer and Member of Parliament has resigned from his RajyaSabha seat on the first day of the Monsoon Session. Sidhu’s resignation was accepted with immediate effect by RajyaSabha Chairman Hamid Ansari.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. NASA announces discovery of 104 new planets outside solar system: NASA has announced the discovery of 104 new planets outside our solar system including four that could have Earth-like, rocky surfaces. Scientists discovered the exoplanets in Hawaii using Kepler space telescope.

2. SpaceX launched space station docking port: US space firm SpaceX has launched supplies to the International Space Station, including a crucial docking port for future American commercial crew vehicles. The SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft lifted off on the company's Falcon 9 rocket on time from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

3. World Bank Group appoints Paul Romer as Chief Economist: World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim has appointed Paul Romer as World Bank Chief Economist with effect from September 2016. Romer is a widely respected economist and a successful entrepreneur.

3. Malcolm Turnbull sworn in as Australia’s PM.

OTHER UPDATES:

FINANCE/BANKING:                                 

1. Government allocates Rs 22,915 crore capital to 13 PSU banks for FY17: The Narendra Modi government has allocated Rs 22,915 crore capital to meet the capitalization needs of 13 Public Sector Banks (PSBs) in the current fiscal. This is in line with its Indradhanush initiative, aimed at restoring banking sector health. The maximum capital infusion will be for State Bank of India (SBI) at Rs 7,575 crore and the least for Allahabad Bank at Rs 44 crore.

SPORTS:

2. Pakistan’s Yasir Shah scales number one spot in ICC Test Rankings: Wrist spinner Yasir Shah has scaled the number one spot in the ICC Test rankings becoming the first Pakistani bowler to do so since Mushtaq Ahmed in December 1996.

OBITUARIES:

3. Legendary singer Mubarak Begum Shaikh passed away at the age of 80: Rajasthan-born Mubarak Begum is known for the evergreen song 'Kabhi tanhaiyon mein hamari yaad ayegi' from the 1961 movie 'Hamari Yaad Aayegi', which is, till this day, regarded as a classic rendition.

Daily GK Updates - 18th July, 2016

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Three Indian sites listed among UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites: The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has listed Chandigarh's Capitol Complex and Sikkim's national park home to the world's third highest peak Mount Khangchendzonga among its World Heritage Sites, approving all three nominations linked to India this session.

2. India’s first e-court opened in Hyderabad: India's first e-court has opened at High Court of Judicature at Hyderabad. It is the common high court for the states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

3. Government launches Transforming India portal: Union Minister for Electronics & Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad has launched a website 'Transforming India', a repository for real-time sharing of the impact of various governance initiatives with citizens.

4. Government releases Rs 100 crore towards co-contribution in APY: The Government has released Rs 100 crore towards its co-contribution for Atal Pension Yojana (APY) for 2015-16. APY provides minimum guaranteed pension ranging between Rs 1,000 to Rs 5,000 per month for the subscriber from the age of 60 years. The same amount of pension is paid to the spouse in the case of the subscriber's demise.

5. Commerce Ministry starts e-marketplace for goods procurement: The Commerce Ministry has launched an e-marketplace for online purchase of goods and services by various central government ministries and departments which aimed at bringing in more transparency and streamlining the government procurement of goods and services.

6. Vice President Hamid Ansari unveils Gandhi’s stone statue:Vice President Hamid Ansari has unveiled a stone statue of Mahatma Gandhi at Pethub Monastery in the Mongolian capital which is seen as a symbol of India-Mongolia cultural and spiritual ties.

7. Pema Khandu was sworn in as Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh: PemaKhandu has sworn in as the ninth Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh while Chowna Mein has sworn in as the Deputy Chief Minister. With this, Mr.Khandu became the youngest Chief Minister in the country.

8. Delhi CM launches live interactive programme TalktoAK: Delhi Chief Minister ArvindKejriwal has launched a live interactive programme, titled 'TalkToAK', aimed at directly engaging with the Delhiites, where people from across the country can ask him questions over the phone, by sending text messages and through social media.

9. Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme opened for subscription: The fourth tranche of the Sovereign Gold Bonds scheme has opened for subscription. The bond can be purchased from the National Stock Exchange and Bombay Stock Exchange, besides all Bank branches, select Post Offices and the Stock Holding Corporation of India Limited.

10. Coimbatore-based Air Carnival commences operations: Low-cost airline with pink and white themed Air Carnival has launched its operations with its maiden flight from Coimbatore to Chennai. The airline, which is based in Coimbatore, will focus on short-haul services with ATR72-500 aircraft.

11. Dabur and DRDO unit tie up for high altitude medicinal plants: Dabur, a leading ayurvedic FMCG firm has tied up with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO's) unit Defense Institute of High Altitude Research (DIHAR), Leh, to promote sustainable cultivation of high-altitude medicinal plants in Ladakh.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. 18^th July: Nelson Mandela International Day observed: Nelson Mandela International Day is an annual international day in honour of Nelson Mandela, celebrated each year on 18 July, Mandela's birthday. The day is aimed at inspiring individuals to take action to help change the world for the better.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

2. Dipika Pallikal Karthik and Saurav Ghosal clinch National Squash titles at the 73^rd Senior National Squash Championship in the women and men category respectively.

3. Vijender Singh beats Kerry Hope to clinch WBO Asia Pacific title: Vijender Singh, the boxing star from India, has clinched the WBO Asia Pacific Super Middleweight title at the Thyagraj Stadium, New Delhi.

Daily GK Updates - 17th July, 2016

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Terrapin 3 Acquisition Corporation acquires Yatra Online for $218 million: Yatra Online, Inc. and Terrapin 3 Acquisition Corporation entered into a definitive merger agreement. The transaction values Yatra at an enterprise value of 218 million dollars (1458 crore rupees).Yatra in its statement said that it intends to be listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market under the symbol"YTRA" following completion of the transaction.

2. NalandaMahavihara inscribed as 33^rd World Heritage Site in India: The ruins of ancient NalandaMahavihara known as old Nalanda University of Bihar on got inscribed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.With this, Nalanda University ruins became the second World Heritage Site in Bihar after Bodhgaya's Mahabodhi temple and 33rd such site in India.

3. ‘Ramayana Month’ begins in Kerala: Kerala on 16 July 2016 started observing Ramayana month in the temples. In Malayalam it is termed as the Ramayana Masam. The Ramayana Month starts with the commencement of Malayalam month ‘Karkidakam’.During this month the temples and homes of the state recites Adhyatma Ramayanam  Kilippattu written by medieval devotional poet Thunjath Ezhuthachan for the 30 days. Ezhuthachan is regarded as the father of Malayalam literature.

4. Rare Marbled Map butterfly sighted in Eastern Ghats: Rare Marbled Map butterfly was sighted in Eastern Ghats near PM Kota village of Maredumillimandal in East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh. This is the first time that the Marbled Map butterfly species, usually found in the north-east, was sighted in South India.

5. Rajesh Kumar Chaturvedi appointed as Chairman of CBSE.

6. K V R Murthy appointed as CMD of Jute Corp of India.

7. Supreme Court ordered restoration of NabamTuki Government in Arunachal Pradesh: For this purpose, it also quashed the Kalikho Pul government that came into power on 19 February 2016 after Governor J P Rajkhowa ordered dismissal of Nabam Tuki led government of the state.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Peru declares Zika emergency in 11 states: The Peru Government declared Zika health emergency across the northern half of the country.The emergency was declared after 102 people have been confirmed to be infected with the virus, 34 of which are pregnant women.

OTHER UPDATES:

BOOKS AND AUTHORS:

1. Book titled ‘Courage and Commitment’ authored by Margaret Alva released.